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SCHOOL LEADERS’ PRACTICES IN ENHANCING CURRICULUM
IN THE PHILIPPINES IN RESPONSE TO GLOBAL
COMMUNITY CHALLENGES
Dr. Edna C. Aquino
Dr. Luisito C. Hagos
New Era University
Rizal Technological University
Manila, Philippines
Dr. Natividad F. Halog
Philippine College of Health and Sciences
Engr. Adeel Jamil
De La Salle University
Curriculum is a broad set of experiences that students go through
during the entire time they are in school. The curriculum is generally
considered as the complete course path that will enable students to
attain the goals and general objectives of education. It is the learner’s
engagement with various aspects of the environment, which is under the
direction of the school. Curriculum empowers all students and motivates
them towards lifelong learning. But because of technological
advancements, the spread of new information media and the
predominance of software and hardware devices, a school’s curriculum
should be enhanced. It should be pragmatic to meet the needs of society
and should conform to the actualities of the community. A school’s
curriculum should be re-structured with a likely shift towards a more
meaningful course of study.
It is indeed very important for an educational institution to have a
balanced and well-designed curriculum for all the programs it offers. In
doing so, the institution shall have a more stable system in undertaking
its goals and mission so as to make its curricular programs efficient and
effective to its major concern – the students.
Curriculum Design: Basic Concepts
“Curriculum” is from the Latin word that means “course” or “run”.
A school’s curriculum is basically concerned with the course of study
that identifies the specific goals of education for each development stage
in school. Those goals are usually stated as “target competencies” a
learner should achieve at a specific stage of his stay in school.
According to Monterozo (2010), curriculum design is basically
concerned with the nature and arrangement of the four basic curriculum
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parts. These four components generally suggest to the curriculum maker
four questions: What is to be included? What instructional strategies,
resources and activities will be employed? What subject matter is to be
included? And what methods and instruments will be used to appraise
the result of the curriculum?
Factors that Influence the Curriculum
The world is changing so fast that in order for schools and
universities cope with new innovations, they should keep at pace with
the tempo of societal changes and technological progress. The schools of
today should participate in the educational and social revolution. Thus,
the curriculum in Philippine schools today has to be geared to the rapid
societal changes and the new responsibilities for the new breed of
Filipinos. The three most important sectors of society that give direct
input to the improvement of the curriculum are the academe
(institutions), the government, and the industries (both public and
private companies). Some government institutions, such as the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of
Education (DepEd), are directly involved in upgrading the curricular
programs of learning institutions. They oversee and control the
operations of schools, colleges and universities. Engineering programs,
for instance, have been guided in the past a series of government
policies, rules, and programs.
For instance, during President Ferdinand Marcos’ administration,
when the government shifted to parliamentary form, the Ministry of
Education and Culture (MECS) issued Order No. 36 S. 1976 (the “S.”
stands for “Series”) which spelled out “Policies and Standards for
Engineering Education”. About 10 years later, MECS also issued Order
No. 42 S. 1985 titled “Revised Policies and Standards for Engineering
Education”. Upon Marcos’ deposition and the consequent restoration of
the presidential form of government under the Aquino Administration,
the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS, which was
how today’s DepEd used to be called) sent out DECS Order No. 76. 1989
setting forth the “Revised Engineering Laboratory Requirements and Its
Implementing Guidelines”. This was supplemented in the same year by
DECS Order No. 102 S. 1989 known as the “Revised Policies and
Standards for Engineering Education” Later, CHED issued Order No. 16
S. 1996 which created the Technical Panel for Engineering, Architecture
and Maritime Education (TPEAME).
In 1997, the Technical Panel for Engineering (TPPE) was created
thru DECS Order No. 35 S. 1997 and DECS Order No. 25 and 75 S.
1998 which provided that the TPPE shall serve as a consultative,
advisory and recommendatory body to the DECS. The CHED, through
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Memorandum Order No. 14 S. 1997, laid down “Guidelines for the
Identification, Support and Development of Potential Centers of
Excellence in Engineering and Architecture Programs.” The issuance of
guidelines was supplemented by CHED Memorandum Order No. 49 S.
1997 which set down a new “Curriculum Guidelines for Engineering
Education”.
The government agency known as Department of Trade and
Industry also came up in the late 90s with major programs to upgrade
engineering education in the country. Two such programs were the
“Industry Exposure Program for Engineering Students (IEPES) and the
SMEs – Academe Collaboration for Technology Innovation (SME stands
for small and medium enterprises).
Industries, on the other hand, also contribute a lot for the
improvement of the curricula. Industries and companies (both public and
private) give insights regarding the specific competencies and skills
needed by graduates at the workplace. This is strengthened by the
results of researches conducted by the Congressional Commission of
Education 1993 (EDCOM) which identified the problem of mismatch
between the attributes of products leaving the educational system and
the expectations of industries. The mismatch was identified as having
stemmed from irrelevant curricula.
Re-structuring the Curriculum
Several colleges and universities are now beginning to shape
curriculum for the future in an attempt to address the realities and
changes in the global community in the 21st century. They have initially
envisioned the future curriculum to be:
1. Computer – Based. Technology is rapidly changing many
aspects of society. Schools, as they exist today, need to closely examine
the educational needs and goals of our students and how we can best
meet these needs and goals. It is believed that students of today need
many different skills to be able to learn, work and adapt in our everchanging world. School administrators are doing its best that subjects in
the curriculum should be computer-based to meet the rapid
advancement of technologies. A lot of computer software is already
available in the market in almost all subjects in medicine, engineering,
education, business, nursing, architecture, etc. Current computer
applications for classroom instruction vary and include ComputerAssisted Instruction (CAI), Computer-Managed Instruction (CMI), and
Computer-Mediated Education (CME). The emphasis has since
progressed to having students gain knowledge from the computer, using
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it as a valuable information tool. In today’s schools, the shift is for
students to learn with technology.
2. Environment – Focused. The continuing degradation of the
environment has captured the attention of concerned citizens around the
globe. Integration of environmental education in selected curricular
programs is very important especially for a developing country like the
Philippines. Students must become “earth-friendly” and commit to
environmentally
sound
lifestyle.
They
must
also
recognize
interdependence in a “global village” and be prepared to contribute to it.
In 1992, President Fidel V. Ramos signed Executive Order No. 15
that answers the call for global action on the state of the environment.
He created the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development that
adopted the Philippine Agenda 21which takes a balanced and integrated
approach to development issues by incorporating sustainable
development principles and concepts aligned with the national priorities
of the government.
One of the strategies of Philippine Agenda 21 is the promotion of
environmental education, information and public awareness. This
strategy reinforces P.D. 1152 or the Philippine Environment Code of
1977 that mandates the integration of environmental education into the
core curriculum of all academic levels. Agenda 21 recognizes the fact that
both formal and non-formal environmental ethical awareness, values and
attitudes, skills and behavior are consistent with sustainable
development.
As in the case of the engineering program, during the July 1996
Philippine Association of Technical Education (PATE) convention, the
technical committee together with the different Technical Panel for
Engineering, Architecture and Maritime Education (TPEAME) which
serves as the technical arm of the CHED unanimously agreed to include
Environmental Engineering as one of the subjects in any Engineering
Program to help develop in future engineers an understanding of how
humans relate to natural condition and to instill in them the importance
of making wise decision on the use of natural resources.
As approved, a 2- or 3– unit subject, preferably with the descriptive
title “Introduction to Environmental Engineering”, is offered as
compulsory subjects in all Engineering programs nowadays. Among the
most popular descriptive title of the course as recommended by CHED
are:
•
•
Environmental Management
Waste Management
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•
•
Industrial Waste Control
Waste Pollution Control, Treatment and Disposal
The topics outlined by the TPEAME include the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Principles of Ecology
Sustainability Concept
Global Environmental Issues
Local and International Regulations
Environmental Impact Assessment
Water and Waste Waster Engineering
Air Pollution
Solid Waste Management
Waste Minimization
Noise Pollution
Thermal Pollution
3. Research – Oriented. Research plays an important role in the
teaching and learning process. Research also helps find solutions for
complex problems. Research enables educators to identify outcomes,
make predictions and establish cause-and-effect relationships. Assigning
research work to students will give them the opportunity to learn by
themselves with minimal supervision from their teachers. By conducting
research, students will have a first-hand experience of applying the
principles of scientific methodology and hence make them better
decision-makers in the future. Educators are encouraged to help their
students’ develop research attitude (Baratang, 2003) by instilling in them
the so-called “Problem-Orientedness” attitude.
The following are worthy school-based related researches (Hagos,
2007) from different universities:
• A study in 2012 conducted by Electronics and
Communications Engineering students from the College of
Engineering and Technology of New Era University on the
development of solar-powered mobile phone charger.
• The establishment of the Central Philippines University –
affiliated Non-Conventional Energy Center (CPU-NEC) in
December 1989 to introduce, transfer, and encourage the
utilization of technically and economically viable nonconventional energy system that are safe, cleaner and more
sustainable than the conventional fuel based system.
Guimaras islands were the target areas. This was
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established through the joint effort of the Electrical
Engineering students of CPU and the Department of Energy.
•
A student from Rizal Technological University conducted
a study in 2002 on the “Immobilization of Toxic Heavy
Metals from Academic Wastes” such as copper, nickel,
manganese, cadmium, lead and mercury by establishing a
mix design between academic waste, waste, fine and coarse
aggregate.
4. Technology – Enriched. The positive impact of technology is
not limited to business, government and medicine but extends to
education as well. The advances in communication and information
technology are radically altering the shape and delivery of learning
throughout the world. Technological innovations have reshaped societies
and affected men’s life. It is likewise revolutionizing and globalizing
education to meet business and industry needs.
Realizing that technology is the most important area, which the
students must master, to succeed in the 21st century, many colleges and
universities have begun to install technological facilities in the campus.
Computers, CD-ROMs, the Internet. e-mail, television monitors, video
equipment, and satellite systems for distance learning are some of the
technologies that schools have begun to use. These technological devices
interconnect, enabling students to maintain continuous links with the
rest of the world, to use the computers to do homework, acquire new
lessons, or consult with teachers and other experts outside the campus
and within the comfort of their home.
The use of these technologies makes learning more real, dynamic
and more interesting. It also facilitates ease in students’ comprehension
and complements other available learning materials.
5. Value – Laden. Although the main focus of the curriculum is to
teach students a set of body of knowledge, educators all over the world
agree that values should also be integrated in the learning process.
Inculcating values in an academic program can lead to the development
of a human being committed to the building of a “just and humane
society”. All academic programs should, therefore, be strengthened with
values that are worthy of perpetuation for the rebuilding of society.
Because of widespread irregularities like graft and corruption,
malpractice in some profession and design activities (such as tampering
designs and contracts) and degradation of moral values among college
graduates, it is imperative that the academe should do something on
values formation among students. Teaching the students “values” gives
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them better preparation for the actual practice of their profession in the
future.
Some universities have integrated values-formation in their
academic program. For instance, faculty members at New Era University
have emphasized the integration of the following values in their syllabus
–
responsibility,
resourcefulness,
creativeness,
patience,
cooperation/teamwork, neatness, sportsmanship, self-confidence, and
humility.
6. Community-Involved. Participation in community service has
become an essential educational tool that enriches students’ learning
experiences. It bridges the gap between the theories learned in the
classroom and the realities of life in an actual community where theories
can be practiced. Mc Elhaney (2008) stated that serving the community
is not only an integral part of the mission of institutions of higher
education but also very much an actual tool of learning as it has been
observed that there are real academic learning outcomes in individuals
who participated in community service. Godwin (2001) also describes
that community service is an experiential learning and has been offered
as a significant strategy to assist higher education in producing the type
of citizen needed for a healthy democracy.
Involving parents, teachers, and members of the community and
others in the process of identifying academic goals and standards and
measure of programs is seen as a powerful vehicle in improving academic
achievement and influencing the direction and services of the school
programs. During the time of United States President Jimmy Carter, and
through the help of his then Education Commissioner Ernest Boyer, the
US president saw the importance of connecting the university to
communities. He initiated community engagement, which called for the
commitment of community schools and universities to the country’s most
pressing social, civic and ethical problems. (Godwin, 2001)
Another US president Bill Clinton demonstrated his belief in the
educational potential of the community service by signing into a law the
National Commission Service and Trust Act 1993 (Diaz, 2007). Clinton
viewed college students as the nation’s best resources to meet the
challenge of rebuilding American through community service.
The Philippine government also acknowledges the value of
community service as reflected in its Constitution. Article XIV of the
Philippine Constitution states that:
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“The state shall establish, maintain, and support a
complete, adequate and integrated system of the education
relevant to the need of the people and society.”
On the other hand, because of its commitment to community, New
Era University was also challenged to help uplift the lives of the people in
its adopted communities, and thus initiated school- community
collaboration. The collaboration involved the administration, faculty
members, non-teaching personnel, students as well as residents of their
adopted communities.
7. Industry-Linked. Students are oriented to the world of work
before they graduate. Curriculums are now designed to enhance
optimum individual adjustments toward self-realization and career
development. This means integrating classroom study with planned and
supervised practical experience in technological, educational or cultural
activities outside of the formal classroom environment usually in public
or private enterprises.
The basic philosophy of the academe-industry linkage is that
personal growth and professional development are best achieved by an
educational method that combines classroom learning with periodic
intervals of planned and supervised practical experience away from the
academic community (Profeta, 2013). It integrates theories learned in the
classroom with relevant work in the world of work. Hence, it is
integrative and transformative since it combines theory and practice with
the end in view of developing a graduate who is creative and responsible
to the society in which he lives.
Gomez (2006) said that as the country moves towards the
Information age, it becomes clearer that the education needs to respond
to the nature and requirements of industry and business work force of
today and tomorrow. The role of institution is to prepare individuals
towards their functional and proactive roles in society. It also essential
for education to become active in understanding and internalizing the
skills needed for the industry.
Conclusion
Central to the realization of an institution’s goal is continuity and
innovation anchored on a relevant curriculum. Change in strategies, in
the course contents, in methodologies for teaching, is well recognized as
sensitive, difficult and sometimes, impossible, so much so that the
acceptance of the status quo is pervasive.
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There is a great belief that if a plan is well planned and based on
logical theories and goals; there is nothing that will prevent it from being
initiated. Yet, it will also be noted that a quite a number of elaborately
planned innovations and curricular changes have floundered on the
threshold of the bureaucratic organization.
References
Baratang, V. L. (2007). The research-oriented individual, The Engineering
Journal, Vol. 5, New Era University
Buena, J.G. (2007). Unpublished dissertation: Readiness of selected
Quezon City public high schools and teachers in integrating technology
in teaching: Inputs for an action plan, Far Eastern University, Manila
Diaz, E. D. (2007). Unpublished dissertation: Collaboration between FEU
and the adopted community: Towards a framework on community
service, Far Eastern University, Manila
Godwin, D. R. (2001). Unpublished dissertation: Functional motivations:
Recruiting college students to perform community service, Widener
University
Gomez, M. E. (2006). Unpublished thesis: Capability of selected
institution in the NCR using on-line classes trough distance learning,
Rizal Technological University
Hagos, L. C. (2002). Integration of environmental perspectives in the
engineering curriculum, Graduate School Research Journal, New Era
University
Hagos, L. C. (2000). Re-structuring the engineering curriculum to meet
the challenges of the 21st century, Graduate School Research Journal,
New Era University
Mc Elhaney, K. A. (2008). Unpublished dissertation: Student outcomes of
community service: A comparative analysis of curriculum based and
non-curriculum based alternative spring break program, University of
Michigan
Monterozo, E. L. (2010). Curriculum design, Technological Institute of
the Philippines
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Profeta, L. M. (2013). Introduction to Technology and Computer
Education, 1st Edition, Mandaluyong City: Noble Graphic Technologies
Incorporation